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Hello @twinkling!
Welcome to the forum! Have you considered implementing CBT-I techniques? CBT-I really tackles the root cause of our insomnia – our thoughts and behaviors toward our sleep.
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
You’re welcome!
Great question! When you travel across time zones, there’s always a possibility of experiencing some sleep disruptions, but that’s to be expected. It’s more important to focus on the positive aspects of your trip and the memories you’ll be creating rather than any difficult night’s sleep. I’d recommend using the same sleep window times in the city you’re traveling to. If your sleep window is 12-6am now, try to implement 12-6am (destination’s time) at the place you’re traveling to.
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Leo – terribly sorry to hear about your loss and it’s certainly a life event that can cause sleep disruption, as you’re experiencing. After time, our sleep is usually restored once we become less stressed or the situation is resolved when we begin to change our thoughts and behaviors toward our poor sleep, it can perpetuate the issue.
How are you managing your anxious thoughts when they arrive close to bedtime? Do you find yourself trying to avoid them or even make them go away? Thoughts are unique because we have no control over them – when they arrive, what the thought is, how long they want to hang out with us. What if you took all that time you’re spending on struggling with your thoughts and directed it to something you can actually control, something that is more meaningful in your life?
Martin speaks about those jerks that you’re experiencing in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFlxiXbYQag
Hope that helps,
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Hey Jess – glad to have you on the forum and great to hear that you’ve experimented with CBT-I techniques in the past. Since you’re already familiar with CBT-I, but haven’t implemented the sleep window in the past, you might find it beneficial in this scenario.
Everybody needs 8 hours of sleep is like saying everyone wears the same shoe size…but we don’t. The average shoe size for a man is 10.5 inches so should we get concerned if we fall short of that average? I’m not convinced that we should associate poor sleep with you’re going to have a terrible day the following day. Have you ever had a bad day after a good night’s sleep? What if you weren’t able to get any sleep the night before you won a $10 million lottery? My guess is that the following day might not be too bad, huh?
I understand the desire to analyze your sleep since I overanalyze everything but trying to find solutions, trying to fix your sleep places unnecessary pressure on yourself to sleep and that can certainly perpetuate your sleep issue. What if you took the same approach when you were a great sleeper – don’t analyze your sleep, just let it happen. The more effort you make to try to sleep, the more elusive sleep is.
Hope that helps,
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Those middle of the night awakenings can be frustrating and discouraging, but waking during the night is a normal part of sleep. Those awakenings aren’t really the issue though – it’s how we react to them that can generate anxiety or frustration and perpetuate your sleep issue. It’s understandable for you to want to go into, “I can fix this” mode when you wake but when we try to fix our sleep issue, sleep usually becomes more elusive! I wonder if meditating and the other exercises you engage in when you wake are efforts to generate sleep? Sleep happens, it can’t be forced, so the more we try to restore our sleep, the more it escapes us. If you think back to “before insomnia” time and compare it to your situation now, what is a major difference between the awakenings then vs what you’re experiencing now…probably the little (or no) effort you made to falling back to sleep versus all the time trying to fix it now?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Great to see you take that first step with creating a sleep window. I compare CBT-I to starting a new fitness regimen – consistency and patience are key to finding progress! If you have questions along the way, feel free to post it!
You’ve got this!
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Hi @CharlesBone – welcome to the forum!
Are you able to pinpoint what you think might’ve caused your insomnia to begin? Did you have a stressful life event occur, lose your job, start a new job, relationship problems, etc? Typically, once the stressor is resolved, our sleep is restored but once we begin to change our thoughts and behaviors toward our sleep, it can become a vicious cycle.
@brave-heart-122 : Glad to see you’re going to sign up for Martin’s course, I think you’ll find it beneficial!Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Welcome to the forum! Insomnia caused by exercise doesn’t ring a bell, except maybe the timing of your exercise. Are you exercising close to the start of your bedtime?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Welcome to the forum, thanks for sharing your story! I’m glad to read that you’re well from the Lyme disease now!
On the nights you can’t fall asleep – can you point to something specific that might trigger it, such as anxiety, going to bed before you’re sleepy, etc? Waking during the night is a normal part of our sleep. It becomes difficult for us to fall back to sleep when we try to avoid nighttime wakefulness. If you wake during the night, you might feel the urge to put unnecessary pressure on yourself to fall back to sleep and that can perpetuate the problem. What is your current bedtime at night and when do you get out of bed in the morning?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
There can be times during your CBT-I journey that could be discouraging, but if you consistently practice the techniques, remain patient and learn how to have a better relationship with those unhelpful thoughts, you’ll find significant progress. Naps can be tricky when you’re trying to resolve insomnia because they really deplete the sleep drive that you’re creating throughout the day. I wonder if there could’ve been some activities to be engaged in instead of taking naps?
When you experience those unwelcome thoughts, how do you react to them? What’s your strategy for creating more space for them to exist instead of continuously struggling with them every day/night?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
The start time of your sleep window isn’t as important as waking and getting out of bed at the same time each morning. If you’re not sleepy at the start of your sleep window then you’re welcome to remain engaged in activities when it started and only going to bed when you’re sleepy.
Don’t believe everything you think. Easier said than done, I realize that. Most of the thoughts we experience every day are usually unhelpful. Ironically, thoughts aren’t the problem though – it’s when we begin to give these thoughts our attention and begin to struggle with them that causes a perpetuating issue. We fight with our thoughts because it doesn’t feel good but the more we battle with them, the more intense they can become. When a negative thought arrives, you might consider creating some space for it to exist by saying, “thank you, mind” and continuing the activity you were doing when it arrived. It’s free to roam around for as long as it likes and will eventually pass. We can’t control what pops into our minds, but we can control whether or not we want to engage with it.
Hope that helps,
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
What you’re experiencing is really not uncommon when someone begins implementing CBT-I techniques. Everyone responds differently but if you remain committed to the techniques, you’ll begin to see consistent results from them. Are you leaving your bed because you’re anxious or simply because sleep isn’t happening? As long as you’re relaxed and lying in bed feels good, you’re welcome to remain in bed but once you begin to experience anxious thoughts and frustration, it might be best to engage in something more meaningful. It’s important to realize that the quality of your day isn’t determined by how much sleep you achieved the previous night. If we allow insomnia to affect our days, then we can begin putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves to fix our sleep issue. Are there more meaningful activities to engage in than continuing to fight/avoid the unhelpful thoughts about your sleep?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
It’s great to see that you’ve experienced continued progress in restoring your sleep! Are you continuing to implement a sleep window on a consistent basis? If you are relaxed and aren’t anxious when you have these awakenings, you’re free to remain in bed as long as conditions for sleep are good. Otherwise, finding another activity that’s more enjoyable than lying in bed being frustrated about the situation is recommended. In your previous posts, you mentioned having sleep-related anxiousness and managing those thoughts better – but are you experiencing some mind chatter when you wake during the night? Do these nighttime sleep disruptions make you anxious?
Scott J
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
I don’t think what you describe is terribly uncommon for those suffering from insomnia, so you’re definitely not alone. The good news is that you’ve identified some critical reasons why you could be experiencing sleep disruptions. Yeah, sleep is one of those weird things in life that doesn’t reward our hard work, and in fact, the harder we try to fix our sleep, the more elusive it becomes. Instead of waiting for sleep to happen or trying to force it, what else could you be doing that would be more enjoyable – watching TV, listening to a podcast, crafting, etc?
It’s impossible to control when our thoughts arrive, what the thought is going to be and when it decides to leave us alone. Since we aren’t able to control our thoughts, have you considered welcoming them by saying, “thank you, mind” and focusing on something that’s more beneficial to you – such as your breath or simply going back to what you were doing when it arrived? Our unhelpful thoughts crave attention so the more attention you give it, the more it wants to hang around.
As long as the conditions for sleep are good, you’re more than welcome to remain in bed. When you become frustrated and anxious though, that’s when you might consider removing yourself from bed and finding something more enjoyable.
Hope that helps,
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Hi @Mark60,
Waking is a normal part of our sleep cycles. Waking up in the middle of the night isn’t really the problem, it’s when you begin to fight/avoid those anxious thoughts, as you describe, that can make falling back to sleep more difficult. Since most our thoughts are unhelpful and our struggle with them isn’t beneficial, have you considered allowing those thoughts to come and go as they want without giving them the attention they’re seeking? For instance, if you wake during the night and negative thoughts arrive, welcome them by saying, “Thank you, mind” and begin focusing on your breath or something more enjoyable instead. It’s a technique that certainly needs to be practiced consistently but over time I believe you’ll find your relationship with your thoughts improve. The more you struggle with your thoughts, the more intense and frequent they usually become.
Hope that helps,
Scott J—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
